Material dispensing hopper



Jung 11, 1946. R, A DAwgo'N 2,401,913

MATERIAL DISPENSINQ vHOPPER' Filed oct. 18, 1943 n F/GJ.

Y *mmv 4 npentor ROBERT DAWSON att-orne!! Patented June 11,' 1946 MATERIAL DISPENSIN G HOPPER Robert A. Dawson, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Western Precipitation Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application october 1s, 1943, serial No. 506,784

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to improvements in hoppers for dispensing mobile material and, more rial from the hopper.v

Typically, material dispensing hoppers have at least one sloping wall and bridging or sticking of comminuted materials, such as cement, flour,

dustfrom air cleaning systems and the like, is particularly apt to occur in connection with such sloping walls. It has been found that such bridging and sticking may be effectively prevented by means of the apparatus of the invention which comprises a plurality of spaced parallel scraper members, typically in reticulated arrangement positioned along the inner surface of at least one Wall of the hopper, preferably at least on a sloping wall thereof, and means for reciprocating the scraper members by an amount at least as great as the distance between the parallel scraper members in the direction of reciprocation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a hopper having a shaker frame movably positioned adjacent the inner surface of at least one of its walls, and comprising parallel, closely spaced scraper members adapted to be reciprocated along substantially the entire inner surface of said wall.

Another object of the invention is to reciprocably mount a at, reticulated shaker frame in closely spaced relationship to the inner surface of at least one wall of a hopper to agitate the transient material along said wall and prevent its bridging across the hopper channel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shaker frame for the purpose stated, including Scrapers in the form of meshed wire or equivalent reticular structure to disturb the material in a virtually unbroken plane adjacent to at least one wall of the hopper.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to reciprocate the shaker frame in said plane and to produce a jar on both the upstroke Y and downstroke thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hopper agitator comprising reciprocably mounted, parallel members spaced apart a distance not exceeding the amplitude of reciprocation of said members, thereby to insure the traversal of the entire scraping plane in every movement of the frame, both up and down.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. V1 is a perspective view of a typical hopper, parts being shown in section, with the improved agitator of the invention mounted therein; Y

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper left corner of the hoppervof Fig. 1, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of one of the bearings, the hopper wall being shown in section, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section onthe line S--jrof Fig. 4.

Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates a typical embodiment of the improved agitator In in a hopper II such as is commonly used to direct transient material, such as flour, cement and the like,

into a lower container, for example, the conveyor trough I2. The hopper shown has side walls I3 which converge toward the trough. It also has end walls I4, one of which is shown in Fig. l, the other in Fig. 2. These, too, converge toward the trough, producing the general contour of a funnel which defines a channel through which the owing material is guided. A screw I5 in the trough is adapted to be driven, thereby to continuously transport the material to a point of discharge.

Comminuted material is likely to build up across the hopper throat I6 and thus bridge the hopper channel. 'I'his bridging is prevented by the agitator ID, as appears below, but the scope of the invention is broader than its combination with a hopper of the type disclosed. The agitator, being movable, may be utilized over the surface of a variety of walls equivalent to I3, for the purpose of preventing a transient material from caking, banking or bridging.

'I'hus the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative of one embodiment of the invention and not as a. limitation upon its use. The agitator I0 is shown in conjunction with only one hopper wall, it being Within the purview of the invention to employ similar agltators on one or more additional walls, all to the common purpose ofl 3 The boundaries of this screen are suitably secured to the frame I1, as by Welding, so as to be an integral part of it.

Its weight holds the frame I1 down, the necessity for simple hold-down means occurring only in cases wherein the wall I3 is disposed otherwise thanras shown. Spacers :2| :support the frame in spaced, uniform position upon the vsurface I8. Said spacers are rectangular pieces of metal bent in U-form. The bridges of the Us are welded or otherwise secured to selected rails of the frame, the edges 22 (Fig. 3*)riding`the surface I8 as shown. The overall height-oi" each spacer may be about onerinch.

Since the screen I9 is on 'the under 'side'.of :the frame (Fig. 3), the Scrapers 2'0 are spaced closely from the surface I8, thus occupying a plane or Zone of operation so near to the respective lwall L than reciprocatory would cause them to continuously `interrupt a -stratum 4of material in close proximity to the surface of a supporting The scraper elements lZI'I could be It is to be observed that the spacing of the scrapers 20 (Figs. 2 and 3) is slightly less than the amplitude C of reciprocation. Slight variations in the ratio of spacing and amplitude are immaterial so long as the spacing between the Scrapers does not exceed the amplitude C. The purposeof the :invention :is served .if the amplitude of reciprocation isat least as ggreat as the distances between the Scrapers, the intent being to produce a complete traversal of the material in the zone of interruption adjacent to the surfa'c'e I8.

In practice, the hopper must be strongly supported in -order that it bear the weight of the material in it and. to withstand he vibration of ,the shaking .and jarring. The supporting and bracing structure is shown in only a general way in Jthe drawing without describing the details, it being observed, however, that where parts eX- tend Vfrom wall to wall or from a wall into the vhopper channel, as in the case of the .bearings 2,9 and bases 30, .the wire ,screen I9 .is-cut out to provide adequate clearance.Y

I claim: f f

In a material dispensing hopper having -afslopj ing side wall and an end wa-ll `at .one end .thereof, an ,agitator comprising .a frame disposed adv jacent said side wall anda screen .secured Vto wall. The shaft 25 has one or .more cranks 26 secured vto it as shown, the free ends thereof having elongated openings 27 (Fig. 3) to contain portions of tube 218 which Ais Va part of the frame I1.

Bearings 29 support the shaft 25Afvorr=its turning movement when actuated by the link .and

lever 23, 24. Said bearings for-m parts yof bases 30 which, desirably, are of a sturdy lconstruction. These bases are welded or otherwise rmly secured to the Wall I3, each .one of them having Y said frame and extending adjacent substantially the entire inner surface of said .side wall and providing .a plurality ofrlong'itudinally extending Scrapers spaced from one another/.in a direction Vparallel to the .slope of ,said .side wall, .a plurality of bearing members secured to said side wall and extending through openings lprovided by rcutting away portions'ofsaid screen, .a longitudinally extending vshaft disposed inwardly yof :said agitator, extending through said end wall and rotatably supported on said `bearing members, cranks secured to said shaft V.and engaging Vsaid agitator to elect `reciprocation thereof in said direction upon rocking ,movement of `said shaft,

, said agitator 'beingvreciprocable relative to said 

